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Poland
Pòlskô Repùblika |flag= |COA= |map= |capital= |languages= (national) (regional) |demonym= Pole / Polish |currency= Polish złoty |estab1name= |estab1time= 966 |estab2name= Kingdom |estab2time= 1025 |estab3name= Congress |estab3time= 1815 |estab4name= Communist |estab4time= 1945 |estab5name= Republic |estab5time= 1989 |GDP-PPP-total= $800.934 billion (2012) |GDP-PPP-pc= $21,000 |GDP-nomin-total= $513.821 billion (2011) |GDP-nomin-pc= $13,540 (2011) }} The Republic of Poland ( : Rzeczpospolita Polska; : Pòlskô Repùblika), more often referred to simply as Poland (Polish: Polska), is a country located in Central Europe. It is bordered the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia and Lithuania to the north, Belarus and Ukraine to the east, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, and Germany to the west. It also has coastlines on the to the north. History Human life in Poland and the remainder of north Central Europe has existed for quite some time. During the , in Poland were established. The was prominent in the area of Poland during the late and early , and during a later period of the Iron Age Celts began to arrive. They were soon followed by cultures influenced by the Celts to the west and the Roman Empire to the south. By about 500 AD, the Germanic people of Poland and then settled into the territory, organizing into tribal units. (c. 940–992) of the , a member of the tribe, effectively unified many of the peoples living in what is now Poland at some point during his reign. As such, today he is commonly attributed as the founder of the Polish state. Under the rules of Mieszko and his successors, much of the Polish people were to and into the European culture. In 1025, during the later life of (967–1025), Bolesław established the first Kingdom of Poland. Disputes over the successor of (1086–1138) prompted him to Poland among his five sons. This fragmentation, as well as conflicts with the Teutonic Knights, Prussia, and Mongols, left Poland weakened for several decades. The first King of Poland since the fragmentation, (1257–1296), was coronated in 1295. He made efforts to reunite the Polish lands, but was assassinated in 1296, shortly after his reign began, and was ultimately unable to achieve his goal. After his death, the of Bohemia briefly ruled until (1261–1333) emerged as King, restoring the Piast dynasty and finally reunifying Poland. After Władysław died, his son, (1310–1370), significantly expanded and strengthened the country over an extensive 37-year reign. Casimir's nephew, (1326–1382), a member of the , succeeded the former, bringing an end to the Piast rule and forming a between the Kingdom of Poland and the Kingdom of Hungary. After Louis' death, his daughter, (1373/4–1399) continued as the second (and final) Polish monarch of the House of Anjou. In 1385, (1351/1362–1434) of Lithuania married Jadwiga and reigned alongside her, thus forming a union between their respective nations. This partnership proved beneficial for both the Poles and Lithuanians, and relations between the two groups greatly improved during the period. When Jadwiga died in 1399, Władysław II began ruling independently as the monarch, starting the reign of the in Poland. was incorporated by Poland in 1454, and as a result, the (1454–1466) with the Teutonic state occurred. Poland ultimately won this conflict, and the 1466 divided the region in favor of the Poles. Eventually, in 1525, the Duchy of Prussia would be founded as a separate entity, a Teutonic Order of Poland. Poland emerged as a powerful state ruled by an influential monarchy, and confronted the Ottoman Empire and Crimean Khanate to the south, and aided the Lithuania in its fights with the Grand Duchy of Moscow to the east. Also, Poland was developing as a feudalistic state, having a predominantly agricultural economy and an dominant . With the growing importance of the nobility, the king's council became in 1493 a (parliament) that was not exclusive to the dignitaries residing in the kingdom. Eventually, the 1505 act transferred much of the legislative power from the king to the sejm, which led to some increasingly abusive conditions for , slowed development of cities, and limited the rights of commoners. During the Jagiellionian period, the movements made inroads into Polish Christianity, resulting in unique policies of that attracted persecuted peoples from other European lands to Poland. Also, cultural and scientific revolutions were promoted in the country. The area of Livonia in what is now Estonia and Latvia was incorporated by Poland in 1561 and Poland entered the (1558–1583) against the Tsardom of Russia and its allies. The of 1569 transferred Ukraine from Lithuania to Poland, which would transform the Polish-Lithuanian polity into a real union. (1520–1572), having died without an heir, served as the final ruler of the Jagiellionian dynasty. .... Economy Numismatics See also References Category:Countries Category:European countries Category:Member states of the European Union Category:Poland